112 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE 



The Perche was a prolific producer of horses of this 

 type, and that, as we have already shown, the farm- 

 ers of that province were free sellers of colts to out- 

 side buyers.* It will never be positively known, 

 however, whether or not these horses were of the 

 true Percheron blood. What little is known about 

 the breeding of Normandy is vague and of Louis 

 Napoleon's ancestry nothing whatever is available. 

 We know that both were bought in the vicinity of 

 Rouen and that Normandy was bred near that city, 

 but from what sort of ancestry tradition sayeth 

 naught. Their importers had not penetrated as far 

 as The Perche. Here are the known facts: 



Normandy, or Pleasant Valley Bill. — Hitherto it 

 has been popularly supposed that in 1851 two stal- 

 lions only were imported from France, the one being 

 Louis Napoleon 281 and the other Normandy 351, or 

 Pleasant Valley Bill, as he was well-nigh universally 

 known during his lifetime. So far tradition has been 

 right as to the importations, but wrong as to the 

 number of horses. Dr. Marcus Brown, Circleville, 

 0., really imported two stallions, so that in 1851 

 three entire horses came from the northern part of 



• In a book entitled "European Vineyards," written more than 

 fifty years ago, Mr. Wm. J. Flagg, speaking of the heavy horses in 

 harness in the Bordeaux district, says: 



"Two farmers, whom I afterwards met while traveling in 

 Normandy, told me the Perche country was really the home of the 

 breed and that it was their custom to buy there six months' colts, 

 which they raised and broke, working them. from two years old, 

 and selling them when they got to be five or 'six 'years old, the 

 prices obtained for full-grown and well-broken animals ranging 

 from $200 to $250. I am glad to learn they are at length bringing 

 them to America, where a late importation sold for prices which 

 averaged $2,500." 



